How To Be Persuasive in Making Arguments: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Historically, Harvard has connections to the original nationwide rally that would come to be known as ‘Earth Day’. One of the principal organizers of the event, Denis Hayes briefly attended Harvard in 1969. Since then, climate change has become a central area of research at Harvard that spans several disciplines including:

• Chemistry
• Engineering and Applied Sciences
• History
• Government
• Business and Economics
• Religion

The Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE), directed by Daniel P. Schrag, helps bring together students, professors, and researchers from these various disciplines. The teaching, networking, and collaborative research that arises from the Center helps raise awareness, improves the quality of information available, and provides a global perspective.

HUCE offers a variety of programs including:

• The Environmental Fellows – For recent doctoral graduates who wish to work alongside Harvard faculty members
• The Graduate Consortium on Energy and Environment – Provides networking opportunities for doctoral candidates
• Environmental Science and Public Policy Concentration – For any interested undergraduate students, requires four courses
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fund – Financial support for relevant undergraduate research projects
• Faculty Grants for Exploratory Research

Other research endeavors include:

• The Arctic Initiative – A collaborative effort between the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program and the Environment and Natural Resources Program addressing climate change in the Arctic.
• Saharan dust storms – A revealing study on how climate change will impact dust storms organized by the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine and the Initiative for the Science of the Human Past at Harvard.
• Offshore wind farms – The Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences partnered to research offshore wind farms as a solution to the need for renewable energy.

Harvard also publishes a monthly newsletter titled the ‘Climate Optimist’ which highlights positive environmental tips and encouraging stories.

The University of Washington is an International Universities Climate Alliance member and a University Climate Change Coalition member.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, the University of Washington published a Climate Action Plan in 2009 and regular updates since then. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 36% from the 2005 numbers by 2035. Interested students may explore the University’s future plans and Sustainability Dashboard. There is a four-part video series available detailing

“sustainability efforts in the areas of research, teaching, co-curricular programs, and campus operations”.

The College of the Environment, overseen by Dean Lisa J. Graumlich, offers more than 20 relevant undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Areas of study include:

• Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Earth and Space Sciences
• Environmental Science
• Oceanography

The study of climate change is interspersed throughout each area. Students have access to resources such as:

• The Climate Impacts Group – A group of University of Washington scientists from various areas striving to identify, develop, and advance comprehensive climate change solutions both in the field and in government legislation.
• The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center – An interdisciplinary research center that works in collaboration with several other universities as well as the US Department of the Interior. The center is co-hosted by the Climate Impacts Group and the EarthLab.
• The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies – Specifically focusing on the impacts of climate change on ocean, atmosphere, and fishery sciences. The Institute is a collaborative partnership between the University of Washington, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Oregon State University.
• The Program on Climate Change – Promotes and amplifies climate change work throughout the University of Washington through courses, events, guest speakers, and more.

Last but not least, there are several research units at the University of Washington exploring cutting-edge solutions for climate change from sustainable forestry to the Washington Botanical gardens.

Oregon State University is an International Universities Climate Alliance member.

The College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences offers 13 undergraduate and graduate programs. Each program addresses climate change in its own area. Some of the areas of study include:

• Ocean Science
• Marine Resource Management
• Geology
• Environmental Sciences
• Geographic Information Sciences

The oceanographic and atmospheric programs are unique to the state of Oregon. Professors are world-class scholars and researchers who bring personal experience to the classroom. Their research expertise covers:

• Oceanography
• The Geosphere
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Hazards
• Water
• Geography and Geospatial Sciences

Students and professors have access to top research facilities such as:

• OSU Marine and Geology Repository – This group aims to protect marine samples for future research.
• Ocean Observatories Initiative – Maintains a sensor system that takes a variety of measurements of the ocean and sea floor, looking for patterns and changes
• Ice Core & Quaternary Geochemistry Lab – Researchers climate and biogeochemical cycles of the past

Additionally, Oregon State University is home to the PRISM Climate Group. This research group gathers and analyzes a range of information in search of climate patterns. Information is collected from a wide variety of monitoring networks. Datasets range from as early as 1895 to the present. Much of the information is available to the public.

Caltech is an International Universities Climate Alliance member and a University Climate Change Coalition member.

Caltech is home to the Climate Dynamics Group. This collaborative group focuses on atmospheric dynamics on Earth as well as on other planets. Researchers strive to answer questions such as:

“What controls the surface temperatures and winds? What shapes rainfall patterns? Where and when do clouds form in the atmosphere?”

These questions require the accumulation and analysis of large amounts of data. Thanks to the advancement of computer and space technology such observations are possible and will contribute to scientific discovery. The Climate Dynamics Group is applying their information to improve climate predictions and weather forecasting models. As such, the Climate Dynamics Group is part of the Climate Modeling Alliance (CliMA).

CliMA is a multidisciplinary group of researchers from Caltech, the Naval Postgraduate School, MIT, and NASA. The focus of the group is to provide accurate information in regards to weather extremes such as droughts, heat waves, and rainfall. The goal is to implement mitigating actions wherever possible and to setup resilient infrastructure where mitigation is not possible.

Dan McCleese is Project Manager of CliMA and a visiting associate professor at CalTech.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is an International Universities Climate Alliance member. UCSD also has a STARS Gold rating from Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

The University promotes on campus climate improvement through two green programs:

• Green Labs program – Strives to balance research effectiveness with a reduced carbon footprint without compromising safety or the quality of research
• Green Office certification – The Green Office team evaluates campus environments and strives to help each office meet the Climate Action Plan of the University. The team offers improvement strategies in the areas of waste reduction, transportation, and energy efficiency.

The Climate Action Plan for the University at large details the schools overall strategy to become carbon neutral by 2025. The Action Plan recommends a ‘diversified’ approach to this goal.

Another large source of climate change education and research at UCSD comes from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The Institute offers a variety of degree programs including:

• A one-year professional master’s degree in Mas-Climate Science and Policy
• Bachelor’s degrees in:
  • Environmental Systems
  • Marine Biology
  • Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Earth Sciences
• Climate Change Studies minor
• Several relevant PhD and Master’s degrees

The Institute manages a number of Climate Change Research Centers including:

• Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaption – emphasizes academic-community partnerships with the focus areas of
  • Sea-level rise and coastal hazards
  • Marine ecosystems and climate change
  • Human health and climate change
• Scripps Polar Center – A diverse group of scientists from Scripps who focus on all things related to the Polar environment
• Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation – Strives to maintain the integrity of ocean ecosystems and to preserve them for future use and study
• Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment – Studies the effects of aerosol particles on the atmosphere
• Center For Western Weather and Water Extremes – Uses technology to improve tracking weather systems and implement effective outreach programs

Arizona State University (ASU) is an International Universities Climate Alliance member and a University Climate Change Coalition member.

Perhaps the largest resource for information, research, and education at ASU regarding climate change can be found through the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation (GIOSI) . It is the central location for sustainability research, it maintains over 20 centers, initiatives, and networks, and is the connection point for several educational opportunities.

Some of the research centers and initiatives include:

• Center for Biodiversity Outcomes – Focuses on preserving biodiversity for the future.
• Healthy Urban Environments Initiative – Focuses on ways to decrease air pollution in cities.
• Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems – Researching diverse food systems that are more resilient.
• Global Drylands Center – Focuses on dryland stewardship

GIOSI maintains a data portal that is free to search for any datasets that GIOSI researchers have published.

GIOSI offers educational opportunities in connection with the College of Global Futures. The College of Global Futures consists of

• The School for the Future of Innovation in Society
• The School of Sustainability
• The School of Complex Adaptive Systems

Course and program offerings range from certificate through doctoral level. GIOSI helps connect students in these various programs with appropriate internship experiences for their education level and desired career goals.

There is much more for students to explore in connection with climate change through ASU including:

• World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive
• Arizona State Climate Office
• School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning

Texas A&M University is an International Universities Climate Alliance member.

The College of Geosciences at Texas A&M University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the areas of:

• Atmospheric Sciences
• Geography
• Oceanography
• Geology and Geophysics
• Environmental Programs

The Environmental Programs degrees offer an interdisciplinary foundation for understanding the Earth. The available degrees include:

• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geosciences – This program focuses on practical application with a heavy math and science emphasis. Specialization areas are available in:
  • Biosphere
  • Climate Change
  • Coastal and Marine Environments
  • Human Impact on the Environment
  • Water
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies – This program focuses on the politics and policy implementation effecting climate change. Specialization areas are available in :
  • Urban Environments
  • Geographic Information Science and Technology
  • Environmental Regulation and Compliance
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Global Environment
• A fast track Bachelor of Science in the Environmental Geosciences and Master of Ocean Science and Technology degree. Students complete this program in five years.

There are also three relevant minor programs available. The Climate change minor evaluates both the science and the politics behind the field. The minor requires 16 hours of course work. Some course options include:

• Geography of Energy
• Global Climatic Regions
• Past Climates
• Polar Regions of the Earth
• Science and Politics of Climate Change

A similar Environmental Geosciences minor is also available to students outside of the Environmental programs. Classes focus on how the environment and Earth’s systems interact. This minor requires 15 hours of course work.

Finally, the Earth Systems minor focuses on Earth’s systems and processes. This minor requires 15 hours of course work.

Students have access to hands-on research through cutting-edge facilities such as:

• TAMU GeoServices – offers information processing services and research areas such as geocoding
• The Center for Geospatial Sciences, Applications and Technology
• International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction

University of Illinois, Urbana is an International Universities Climate Alliance member.

At the University of Illinois, the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences offers 12 undergraduate majors in addition to several graduate programs, certificates, and minors.

There are a number of programs relevant to creating a sustainable future through positive environmental and climate changes. Perhaps some of the most pertinent degrees can be found through the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. This department offers

“educational and research programs [centered] on science, applied ecology, and conservation in a variety of aquatic, terrestrial and human dominated ecosystems.”

At the undergraduate level, the Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences offers four concentrations:

• Ecosystem Stewardship and Restoration Ecology
• Environmental Science and Management
• Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
• Human Dimensions of the Environment

Each program requires 126 credits total, which includes at least one Field Experience course. Students may continue on to graduate level study as well.

Research areas specific to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences include:

• Applied Animal Ecology and Conservation
• Global Environmental Change
• Human Dimensions of the Environment
• Landscape and Ecosystem Ecology
• Microbial Communities and Functions
• Restoration Ecology

Students have access to additional tools and information such as Cli-MATE (MRCC’s Application Tools Environment). This is an online research platform for a variety of climate data. The University also has a published Climate Action Plan which details the University’s goal to being carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner.

Pennsylvania State University is an International Universities Climate Alliance member

The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences offers Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral programs. The College is comprised of five departments:

• John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering
• Department of Geography
• Department of Geosciences
• Department of Materials Science and Engineering
• Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

Each program through the various departments touches on climate change and environmental preservation in its own way. Students find other excellent resources and research opportunities through:

• Future Energy, Water, Landscape Initiative – The goal is to navigate an increasing population with the demands on the Earth’s resources. Researchers in this initiative are exploring energy options that also promote a clean and healthy environment. Additionally, they want to address water shortage issues and how those shortages relate to climate change.
• Sustainability Institute – Though taking a broad, holistic approach, the Sustainability Institute includes climate action as part of its goals.
• Earth and Environmental Systems Institute – A national leading interdisciplinary group of researchers all working towards solutions to the most pressing environmental challenges. The Institute works with:
  • The Center for Environmental Informatics
  • The Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research
  • The Center for Climate Risk Management

Additionally, students can view the Climate Action Plan for the University which shows a 32 percent reduction in the campus greenhouse gasses since 2005.

Cornell University is an International Universities Climate Alliance member.

The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability is the central location for information, programs, and research regarding climate change and sustainability. The Center has four research focus areas:

• Food
• Climate
• Energy
• Health

In regards to Climate, the Center is using innovative technology and policy changes to address critical areas including:

• Effects of sea level rise
• Climate-induced human migration
• Reducing greenhouse gas concentrations
• Catastrophic weather

The Center provides research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Cornell also manages several other research programs including:

• The Cornell Climate Smart Solutions Program – A team of diverse researchers working to increase climate literacy and improve agricultural and community systems that impact the environment through the use of smart technology.
• The Cornell Climate Smart Farming (CSF) Program – A more specific program developed to provide information and resources to farmers to minimize climate impact.
• The Climate Action Plan for the University – Details Cornell’s plan for carbon neutrality

In regards to educational programs, Cornell offers a Bachelor of Science in Environment and Sustainability with six concentrations:

• Environmental Biology and Applied Ecology
• Environmental Economics
• Environmental Humanities
• Environmental Policy and Governance
• Land, Air and Water Resources
• Individual Student-Designed Concentration

A Climate Change minor is also available.

For more information students are invited to visit the Sustainability home page.

New York University is an International Universities Climate Alliance member.

At New York University (NYU), the Office of Sustainability is the central hub for information on NYU’s climate goals. The University’s aim is to be carbon neutral by 2040. As part of the campus resiliency efforts, NYU uses CoGeneration power. The on-campus generator plant uses waste heat from the production of electricity to provide energy for campus buildings. In this way, classrooms are temperature controlled more effectively and are more resistant to large-scale blackouts.

NYU offers several educational opportunities for students interested in the field of climate change. The Department of Environmental Studies offers a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Animal Studies. The major requires students to complete a total of 36 points in classes. Students receive a broad understanding of local and global environmental issues. Students may pursue areas of specialization such as:

• Environmental values, policy, and law
• Public Health
• Energy Systemts
• Environmental Justice

NYU also offers a Master of Arts in Environmental Conservation Education. Here students will study in depth how human activity effects the environment. The degree requires 37 credits for completion. Climate related internships are available through several institutions such as:

• Earth Day Network
• National Park Service
• U.S. Composting Council
• World Resources Institute

Yale University is an International Universities Climate Alliance member.

The Yale School of the Environment was founded in 1900. It offers graduate level study with both professional and research-oriented tracks. Joint degrees are also available for students interested in cross-disciplinary study. It is a central location for research and information on environmental topics for both the local region and the globe. Faculty expertise covers a broad spectrum including:

• Climate Change and Climate Science
• Conservation
• Ecology
• Environmental Justice
• Natural Resource Management and Policy

Part of the School of the Environment is the Yale program on Climate Change Communication, directed by Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz. This research based initiative uses a variety of social and entertainment media to educate and influence general attitudes and behaviors towards climate change. The program also provides resources for leaders in the field to communicate more effectively with the public.

Additionally, the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health analyzes numerous health factors such as increased morbidity and respiratory diseases and the relation to climate change and resource scarcity. The goal of the center is to see a stable climate in a world with a thriving, diverse ecosystem.

Finally, Yale’s Sustainability page provides further information on the University’s Climate Action plan, stewardship goals, and reusing materials.

George Washington University (GWU) offers a Master of Arts in International Development Studies. The program is under the direction of Professor Sean Roberts, a former official for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Students must complete a total of 40 credits for the program including:

• 10 credits of core courses
• 12 credits of Analytical courses
• 18 credits of Specialization courses

Students have 12 areas of specialization to select from including:

• Conflict and Development
• Culture, Society, and Development
• Gender and Development
• Humanitarian Assistance

Students must complete a minimum of 18 credits within a specialization area, leaving plenty of room to customize their educational experience. Students who wish to focus on the human trafficking crisis may take courses such as:

• Human Trafficking
• Care of Children in Complex Emergencies
• Violence, Gender and Humanitarian Assistance
• Gender, Disaster and Development

Completing a thesis is optional. The program offers start dates in both the Fall and the Spring.

Additionally, GWU offers a Graduate Certificate in Global Gender Policy. This is a 15-credits program that Master’s students can also take as an area of specialization. There is one three-credit required course, the other 12 credits students may choose from a list of supporting courses. This leaves ample opportunity for students to specialize in the human trafficking crisis. Some of these classes include:

• Sexuality and the Law
• International Human Rights of Women
• The Sex Industry
• Race, Gender, and Class

Both of these programs are available through the Elliot School of International Affairs.

Admissions: Students interested in the Master of Arts program must submit prior academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a resume or CV, and a statement of purpose. Students must also have previous course work complete in a secondary language. GRE or GMAT testing scores are optional.

Through the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, students may enroll in a Master of Arts program in International Human Rights. This program focuses on human dignity and human rights through the study of history, social movements, and institutions. Students must complete at least four classes from three different areas of specialization. Specialization areas are available in:

• Economic Development and Health Rights
• Security Rights and Humanitarian Assistance
• Region or Countries
• Human Rights Themes

Students must also complete two classes from:

• International Studies Core Classes
• Core Human Rights Classes
• Methods and Skills Courses

The program encourages students to participate in field trips and internships for hands-on experience. Students have access to three centers for research and networking opportunities:

• Center on Human Rights Education – emphasized the connection between economic, social, cultural, and human rights.
• Human Trafficking Center – uses data driven research and community connections to understand the causes, conditions, and solutions to human trafficking
• Human Rights and Human Welfare – an online academic journal offering a range of scholarly content

Middlebury Institute is a private school offering mainly graduate and professional training in a multilingual environment. Though the school enrolls a small student body of less than 1,000 pupils, there are 53 countries and 45 native languages represented. This diversity lends itself to a cross-cultural experience in every class.

The Institute offers a Master of Arts in International Policy and Development. The program requires a total of 60 credits that most students complete over four semesters. The International Policy and Development (IPD) program is very similar to the Master of Public Administration program, sharing faculty and core curriculum. The IPD program offers five career-oriented specializations:

• Intercultural Competence
• Migration and Global Governance
• Evaluation and Analytics
• Financial Crime Management
• Conflict Resolution and Social Justice

The Conflict Resolution and Social Justice specialization in particular benefits students seeking to study the human trafficking crisis. This specialization emphasizes the benefits of conflict intervention, strengthening personal ethics as they relate to challenging social situations, and developing professional skills including communication, negotiation, and mediation. Possible elective courses include:

• Women and War
• Human Trafficking
• Fieldwork and Reporting
• Peace Education for the 21st Century (taught in Spanish)

Students complete the MA program with a final professional practicum.

As a part of the Continuing Education program, Columbia Southern University offers an online Human Trafficking Investigation Certificate. This certificate program is offered in partnership with the Human Trafficking Investigations and Training Institute (HTITI). HTITI is a company that provides educational and legal serves, all dedicated to Anti-Human Trafficking solutions.

The Human Trafficking Investigation certificate requires three courses:

• Human Trafficking Awareness
• The United States Response to Human Trafficking
• Law Enforcement Investigations of Human Trafficking Crimes

These courses are available online. The completion of each course awards students with continuing education units, but not college credits. It is possible to gain college credits, however these requests are evaluated on a one-by-one basis.

Wilmington University offers an Undergraduate Certificate in Human Trafficking Awareness through the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The program focuses on identifying victims and advocacy, both locally and globally. In-class and online format options are available. The program greatly benefits those who work in, or want to work in these areas:

• ER and medical professions
• Law enforcement
• Social work
• Mental health counseling

Students must complete a total of 18 credits. The required core classes are:

• Human Trafficking
• Investigating Human Trafficking
• Human Trafficking Advocacy & Change

Students may customize their learning experience through electives such as:

• Multicultural Issues in Criminal Justice
• Healthcare Emergency Management
• Introduction to Trauma-Informed Approaches
• Homelessness in America
• Step-Parenting & Blended Families

Start date: Every eight weeks

Admissions: Applicants interested in the undergraduate certificate programs must submit an application the Wilmington University with official high school transcripts. Students already attending Wilmington University must simply contact their academic advisor to discuss adding the certificate to their current academic program.

At the University of Texas at Austin, the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) is a collaboration of the Schools of Social Work, Law, and Nursing, the Bureau for Business Research, and hundreds of statewide community partners. The institute was founded in 2001 by a small group of researchers and faculty from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, most of who had significant direct service and practice experience with survivors prior to joining the University. Noel Busch-Armendariz, one of the founders of IDVSA, is the Director.

Research focuses around four areas:

• Campus Sexual Assault and Misconduct
• Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence
• Human Trafficking
• Sexual Assault

Human Trafficking research at the Institute focuses on the various forms of trafficking and in particular looks at who constitutes the more vulnerable targets. The Institute has become a leader in this field in the state of Texas. Some of the studies of the Institute include:

• Human Trafficking Supply Chain Networks, funded by the National Science Foundation
• Child Sex Trafficking in Texas: Experiences and Risk
• Statewide Human Trafficking Mapping Project for Texas
• Survivors of Trafficking Empowerment Program, studied in collaboration with the Refugee Services of Texas

IDVSA is instrumental in advancing knowledge and training regarding human trafficking:

• Busch-Armendariz created and continues to teach one of the first human trafficking undergraduate courses for credit in the nation, offered for about a decade.
• The institute also offers local and community-based training- across Texas and the U.S, on the ethical use of expert witnesses in human trafficking cases.
• Institute experts serve as expert witnesses in human trafficking cases

In addition, Noel Busch-Armendariz, IDVSA’s Director, wrote the first U.S. human trafficking textbook, “Human Trafficking: Applying Research, Theory, and Case Studies, which won the Hamilton Book Award, UT’s most prestigious literary prize.

The Institute offers other educational opportunities such as:

• Final Field Internships
• Graduate Research Assistantships
• Research Fellows Program
• Teaching Assistant Positions
• Shield-Ayres Advancing Social Justice Doctoral Research Fellow

Since 2001, the Institute has received over $14 million in federal, state, and local funding. These resources have allowed the Institute to produce over 90

“research, education, training, and curriculum-development projects”

and provide eight researchers with $40,000 in “Seed Grants”.

Stanford University manages the Center for Human Rights and International Justice, directed by David Cohen. As the name suggests, the center focuses on human dignity and social justice issues on a global scale. The center traces its history back to 1999 when it was known as the War Crimes Studies Center. Four major interdisciplinary programs run out of the center:

• Rule of Law, Justice Sector Reform, Transitional Justice, and Accountability
• Human Trafficking Research
• Digital Archives and New Technologies
• Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health

The Human Trafficking Research program emphasizes research and policy advocacy, capacity building, and engagement with local partners in the US, South America, Africa, and Asia. The center co-hosts two annual events promoting research and networking:

• The annual Freedom from Slavery Forum with co-host Free the Slaves located in Washington, D.C.
• The Annual Summer Institute for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, with co-host the Human Rights Resource Center for ASEAN

In terms of policy advocacy in the US, the center participates in the San Francisco Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking and Alliance. Trafficking research publications can be viewed here.

In 2013 Arizona State University opened the Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (STIR). The goal was to create a centralized location for research and information sources on domestic sex trafficking.

The main STIR page offers links to resources for personnel who may be in contact with trafficked victims such as healthcare workers and law enforcement. These links are for:

• Sex Trafficking Help – offers services for
  • Housing and Shelter
  • Case Management
  • Victim Advocacy
  • Therapeutic Services
  • Medical Services
  • Legal Services
  • Educational Services
• Project STARFISH – Sex Trafficking Awareness For Individual Strength and Hope (STARFISH)
  • Information geared towards teachers and educators to raise awareness in the school setting

The STIR research page provides a collection of studies and survey information some of which include:

• Child Sex Trafficking in Las Vegas
• Sex Trafficking in Hawaii: Exploring Online Sex Buyers
• A Four Year Analysis of Labor Trafficking Cases in the U.S.

A free online training module is available with comprehensive, introductory material about recognizing risk factors, warning signs, and potential victims.

The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies (Kroc School) continues the visionary work of its namesake, Joan B. Kroc. As the West Coast Capital of Peace Education, its mission is to equip and empower innovative change-makers to shape more peaceful and just societies. Patricia Marquez, PhD, is the current Dean.

The Kroc School houses two globally recognized research and networking institutes:

1. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice
2. Center for Peace and Commerce

One ground breaking research study produced by the Kroc School is the study of Human Trafficking in San Diego. The full Human Trafficking Study report details “The Nature and Extent of Gang Involvement in Sex Trafficking in San Diego County”.

The study is considered one of the most comprehensive investigations to date on the subject and has fueled prevention efforts in San Diego. Kroc School Associate Professor Ami Carpenter, PhD was the lead investigator with Jamie Gates, PhD (from Point Loma Nazarene University) as the co-investigator. Approximately 1,200 individuals were interviewed or provided data towards the study.

Additionally, Carpenter recently helped launch a University wide initiative called Partners Against Exploitation (PAX). This multidisciplinary project seeks to prevent human trafficking and other forms of exploitation through advocacy, education, and cross-sector partnerships.

The academic programs available at the Kroc School include:

• Master of Arts in Peace and Justice
• Master of Arts in Social Innovation
• Master of Science in Conflict Management and Resolution
• JD/MAPJ Dual Degree in Law and Peace and Justice

The individual Master’s programs run one to two years in length for full-time students. Part-time enrollment is also available.

Interested applicants must submit transcripts, resume, short essays (number varies by program), and two letters of recommendation. Applicants do not need to submit standardized test scores. Applicants interested in the Master of Science program must have three years of relevant professional experience.

The U.S. Department of State granted the University of Georgia (UGA) $15.75 million to use towards human trafficking research and resources. UGA will use some of the funds to increase the work of the African Programming and Research Initiative to End Slavery (APRIES). This initiative is working to end human trafficking in Sierra Leone and Guinea and is seeking to expand resources into Senegal.

Another portion of the funds will help launch the Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum. Principal investigator of the project and Director of APRIES, David Okech hopes this forum will

“build a global community of researchers and learners in the science of estimating human trafficking prevalence”.

The Forum had its first conference meeting early in 2020. With an increase in the number of research teams and different data collection methods, the goal is to improve the severe lack of data that currently hinders intervention programs across the globe.

Other investigators include:

• Tamora Callands
• Alex Balch from the University of Liverpool
• Lydia Aletraris
• Claire Bolton

The Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center (UROC) at the University of Minnesota works publicly with urban communities on a variety of social issues. The Center’s goals include:

• Improving urban education
• Raising the quality of life in urban communities
• Advancing other social issues into public awareness in the hopes of solutions

The Center promotes hands-on projects such as:

• Northside Job Creation Team
• Trauma Recovery Project
• Critical Conversations
• Sex Trading, Trafficking and Community Well-Being Initiative

The ongoing Sex Trading, Trafficking and Community Well-Being Initiative is an academic research collaborative. UROC Director of Research Lauren Martin is promoting the Initiative through local, individual, government, and corporate partnerships. The focus of the research is both national and with a special focus on North Minneapolis. The research team is collecting

“multiple forms of knowledge on sex trading”.

Already, the work of the Initiative has led to policy and legislative changes at the local and state levels.

Projects and reports within the Initiative include:

• Mapping the Demand: Sex Buyers in Minnesota: Full Report
• Sex Trafficking and the Super Bowl Research Brief
• Media Analysis of Print News Coverage on Prostitution and Sex Trafficking: Research Brief
• The Prostitution Project: Community-Based Research on Sex Trafficking in North Minneapolis

Georgia State Law professor Jonathan Todres is leading expert on human trafficking, in particular human rights and public health approaches to the issue. Todres teamed recently with Dr. Angela Diaz, Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, to research and publish a new book titled “Preventing Child Trafficking: A Public Health Approach” (also available through major distributors including Amazon and Barnes & Noble).

In the book, Todres and Diaz detail the value of public health methodologies in addressing human trafficking and lay out a “toolkit” which can serve as a starting point for advancing prevention efforts. In other research, Todres has shed light on relevant children’s rights law, the role of the private sector, and other issues that are important to addressing human trafficking.

Professor Todres also teaches about human trafficking in selected courses at GSU Law.

The University of South Florida (USF) has granted a Strategic Investment Award to

“establish the Human Trafficking Risk to Resilience Research Lab“.

USF granted the lab $120,000 from internal grants to cover the expenses of the research, and to allow three graduate students to participate in the project.

Criminology professor Joan Reid is the lead investigator with professors Shelly Wagers, Bryanna Fox, and Fawn Ngo as co-principal investigators. The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary researchers and community partnerships in an effort to study and combat human trafficking in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.

Researchers noted that the Tampa Bay area is

“a hotspot for child sex trafficking due to a number of community vulnerabilities”.

The first research project of the lab analyzed

“hundreds of suspected child sex trafficking cases compiled by Child Protective Investigators in the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office”.

The goal of the research was to create and analyze a variety of child sex trafficking profiles. The lab is coordinating efforts with Ken Kilian, the Director of Pasco’s Child Protective Investigations.

In the future, Reid hopes to expand the scope of the lab to include research on all forms of human trafficking involving children and adults.

Reid’s past experiences combating human trafficking include over 30 journal publications, including participation in a national report that was presented to Congress in 2008.

At Penn State University, several researchers including Sarah Font, Sheridan Miyamoto, and Casey Pinto are “working to better protect children from trafficking and sexual abuse”.

Font, Miyamoto, and Pinto worked together on one particular study that examined over 2,000 reports filed with Children and Youth Services (CYS).

Most CYS cases of child abuse go unsubstantiated due to insufficient evidence. Part of the study goals were developing methods of improving CYS investigations into abuse claims. The study investigations recommended:

• Improved training
• Better mentoring and supervision
• Easier access to forensic interviewers and medical providers

At the state level, the study results recommended six key changes:

• Broaden the scope of data to beyond fatal and foster care cases. A narrow scope of data misrepresents the larger issue
• Do not delete information from ‘unfounded’ or ‘invalid’ cases. Eliminating data prevents the possibility of seeing larger patterns
• Implement a centralized screening process that involves the whole family. Focusing on a single child may overlook at risk siblings.
• Use a centralized electronic system to store and organize data
• Improve coordination with Child Advocacy Centers across the state
• Hire more qualified employees trained in this area

Pinto emphasized the need for

“adequate funding…and multi-level collaborations between CYS, law enforcement and medical first-responders”

to really make a positive impact on the human trafficking issue.

Additionally, doctoral student Anna Ssentongo and colleagues of PSU created the Pennsylvania coalition against human trafficking. Launched in 2020, this diverse group of state and local agencies, including non-profit organizations, provides online support and resources to trafficking survivors.

The coalition aims to educate all those who come into contact with potential trafficking victims, increase collaboration between those who can help, and provide support for survivors. The long term goal is to end human trafficking in the state of Pennsylvania.

Since 2000 the University of Toledo has been at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking. The Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute was established to provide educational and research opportunities leading to productive community outreach and engagement. The focus of the Institute is broad, covering both immediate needs and practical steps as well as investigating the root cause of social justice issues.

The Institute offers several resources and events including:

• The Annual International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference – a collaborative, networking opportunity that brings together anyone with an interest in helping to solve the human trafficking issue.
• F.R.E.E. program (Foundation, Readiness, Education, Employment) – helps survivors find economic and psychological freedom
• Youth Pages – an online resource for Toledo youth
• Human Trafficking Screening Tool for Mental Health Professionals
• The Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars (GAHTS) – working to solve human trafficking on an international level
• Community Training – For any local residents who wish to be involved

Brown University manages the Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice. In 2015, the Center established the Human Trafficking Research Cluster (HTRC). The research cluster is directed by Dr. Elena Shih, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies. HTRC encourages collaborative research and cooperation. Both undergraduate and graduate students are given research opportunities. Particular interest is given to how “race, class, gender, nation, and sexual forms of power and inequality govern contemporary anti-trafficking efforts”.

HTRC maintains partnerships with local and global sex worker rights organizations. In particular, HTRC has partnered with Rhode Islands only sex worker rights organization, COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) RI. One of the many benefits of this partnership includes

“a historic Rhode Island House Bill to study the impact of the 2009 decriminalization of indoor prostitution in the state”.

Dr. Shih is the recipient of the 2020 Howard R. Swearer Engaged Faculty Award for Research.

HTRC has hosted several events in the past including:

• Fighting Human Trafficking and Labor Exploitation on U.S. Soil: Chinese Construction Workers in Saipan
• Whitewashing Abolition: Race, Displacement, and Combating Human Trafficking
• “Global Explorations of Human Trafficking: Race and Labor”
• Philippine Sex Worker’s Collective and Global Anti-Trafficking Activism

In 2009 the University of Michigan initiated the Human Trafficking Clinic (HTC). The first of its kind, HTC is a law program and fully functional law office with the sole focus of human trafficking. The clinic is directed by professor Bridgette Carr.

The clinic provides students with both domestic and international human trafficking case studies. Students have ample opportunity to practice advocacy skills and obtain real-world experience. Students can interact and network with those involved with human trafficking including law enforcement members and human trafficking survivors.

In addition to educational opportunities, HTC offers a plethora of direct legal services. All of the cases at HTC are managed by law students under supervision. Cases include a variety of aspects related to human trafficking including:

• Immigration
• Post-adjudication criminal relief
• Family
• Housing
• Access to public benefits
• Victim-witness advocacy

The clinic does not

“prosecute cases against criminals or investigate criminal matters”.

The Borders, Trade, and Immigration Institute, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, led by at the University of Houston focuses on research and education. The Institute focuses on these topics:

• Secure national borders
• Facilitate legal trade and travel
• Improve the integrity of the immigration system

The Institute brings together researchers from a multitude of disciplines for networking and information sharing. It is the hope of the Institute that through cooperative, multi-disciplinary study solutions will arise.

In regards to human trafficking, the Institute hosted a lunch-and-learn. Speakers at the event included:

• Alfonso Lopez de la Osa Escribano, PhD, director of the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law at the University of Houston Law Center
• Juhi Jain, MD, fellow with Emory University Children’s Healthcare Hospital
• Edward Gallagher, JD, adjunct professor at UH Law Center
• Sherri Lynn Zack, JD, Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and Chief of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance

The panelists discussed

“the roles and responsibilities of the legal and medical professions in combating human trafficking”.

Some challenges addressed were the balance between patient confidentiality and the need to report a human trafficking case, the mental and physical health issues of human trafficking victims, and the evolution of the law.

The Montclair Initiative on Global Human Trafficking wants to address and bring attention to all aspects of this global issue through education, law, art and research. Their vision is to play a leadership role in contributing significant knowledge, expertise and resources to the effort to end human trafficking.

The group’s strategic areas of focus includes:

1. Education and Training
2. Research
3. Advocacy Policy
4. Networking and Sharing
5. Victim Services

The group home page offers links for:

• Defining human trafficking – provides a definition and detailed statistical information
• Recognizing human trafficking – provides several signs to recognize a potential victim
• What you can do – the general public can help through being informed, reporting tips, and knowing their local resources
• The Resources and Partnership link provides local information for the state of New Jersey, global organizations, and links to several presentations and reports.

Professor Janie Chuang is on staff at American University’s Washington College of Law. Chaung received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and International Studies from Yale University. She went on to complete her J.D. at Harvard Law School where she graduated cum laude.

Chuang’s areas of specialization are labor migration, human trafficking, and international law. In regards to human trafficking issues, Chuang has acted as an advisor to:

• The International Labor Organization
• The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe
• The United Nations

Chuang continues to be deeply involved in the human trafficking issue through the Freedom Network USA and the Modern-Day Slavery and Trafficking Working Group at Yale University. Any student interested in studying human trafficking would do well to consider studying under Professor Chuang.

Chuang is also a participant in the Interdisciplinary Project on Human Trafficking. The project brings together scholars and researchers from various backgrounds to highlight the different aspects of human trafficking. The projects aim is to improve evidence-based research to inform effective policies that center around equality, human dignity, and justice.

Chuang is credited with several publications that have appeared in prestigious journals such as the UCLA Law Review, the American Journal of International Law, and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.

Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law offers a Human Trafficking Program. Since 2015 the program has received funding from the Ohio Attorney General. In 2017 the program was a finalist in the “Liberator Awards” presented by S.O.A.P. (“Save Our Adolescents form Prostitution“).

The program provides

“direct services to adult and juvenile victims of human trafficking and other sex crimes”.

Additionally, the program strives to:

• Represent survivors of human trafficking in court
• Provide education
• Engage in effective outreach to communities of high risk individuals

The program offers an annual Human Trafficking Symposium with key note speakers and small group sessions. The goal of the Symposium is to develop interdisciplinary strategies to help the Northeast Ohio area.

Third year law students in the Human Trafficking Program are required to participate in the Health and Human Trafficking Clinic. This allows students to gain hands-on experience with representing clients and participate in community outreach.

Both second and third year law students in the Program have access to the Human Trafficking Lab. Some of the questions the lab explores are:

• Is it useful to think of trafficking as modern slavery
• Should sex work be legalized
• Why are we failing to prosecute perpetrators

The University of Washington Alene Moris Women’s Center has the broad vision of using education and advocacy to eliminate gender-based barriers. The Center runs several programs including:

• Alene Moris National Education for Women’s Leadership
• Life Long Learning
• Violence Prevention and Gender Equity
• Anti-Human Trafficking Research & Policy Development

The University of Washington Alene Moris Women’s Center was the first center to frame human trafficking as a public health crisis, and through innovative conferences, it led the efforts to convene the nation’s first state task force against trafficking of human beings. In partnership with then State Representative Velma Veloria, the Center helped create the legislation to criminalize human trafficking in Washington State, the first state in the nation to do so. Since then, all 50 States have enacted criminal penalties for traffickers.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Research, Education, and Policy Development program is committed to collaborating with campus scholars, elected officials and community advocates to increase public awareness, advise state and local policy development, and research the contexts and consequences of forced labor, including sex trafficking. The Center continually creates coalitions of all stakeholders working to eradicate this egregious human rights violations.

The program emphasizes research and the need for public awareness of the human trafficking issue. The program provides detailed statistical information, such as:

• 40 million people estimated to be victims of forced labor globally
• 71% of human trafficking victims are women and girls
• A list of common industries vulnerable to human trafficking
• 24-hour assistance hotline contact information

The Anti-Human Trafficking program offers collaborative workshops and speaking engagements. Some of the past events include:

• 21st Century Slavery: Human Trafficking and Sexual Tourism of APIs, UW
• Human Trafficking and Immigration Reform Workshop, UW
• Washington State Task Force Against Trafficking of Persons
• Washington Women’s Foundation Human Trafficking Forum

To recognize its efforts, the Washington State Senate, House, and King County Council all honored the UW Alene Moris Women’s Centers’ 25+ years of anti-human trafficking work under Dr. Sutapa Basu’s leadership – each with a declaration marking the Center’s tremendous role in the local and national anti-human trafficking movement.

The University of Baltimore’s School of Law manages the Human Trafficking Prevention project. Professor Jessica Emerson is the director for the project. The focus of the project is on human trafficking victims who have been prosecuted for their actions made under duress. There is a growing awareness of this issue.

The Human Trafficking Prevention project

“provides pro-bono legal services to individuals who have criminal records stemming from an involvement in the commercial sex industry”.

The project is attempting to minimize the criminal consequences upon victims who are already experiencing trauma. A criminal conviction can lead to a loss of, or an inability to obtain safe housing, employment, and other services.

The Human Trafficking Prevention project fills six credits of clinic work for law students, and allows student attorneys to gain real-world experience.

Students have the opportunity to:

• Practice advocacy skills
• Develop strong, trauma-informed client interviewing skills
• Make connection in the criminal justice community
• Improve legal writing and oratory skills

Student applicants to the project are selected by a lottery system. Students interested in this program should know that the clinic requires a time commitment of approximately 20 hours per week.

The School of Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) maintains the Maryland Human Trafficking Initiative for Children & Youth (MHTI). The MHTI program is a collaborative effort to improve the state wide response to human trafficking. This three-year coordination project received its initial funding from the Department of Justice.

The MHTI program is run out of the School of Social Work’s Ruth Young Center for Families and Children. Several other organizations have partnered with the University of Maryland, Baltimore in this initiative, including:

• The Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force
• Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention
• Maryland Departments of Human Resources and Juvenile Services
• U.S. Attorney’s Office
• SAFE Center
• TurnAround, Inc.
• Healthy Teen Network,
• Baltimore Child Abuse Center

The goals of the program are to:

• Improve training of professionals most likely to come into contact with a trafficking victim
• Investigate trafficking cases with more coherent and multidisciplinary teams
• Improve services, including nonprofit organizations, that can provide a holistic approach to healing a traumatized victim

Loyola University’s Modern Slavery Research Project is a ground breaking study. To produce this project, researchers from Loyola worked in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania’s Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice and Research, along with Covenant House International. Covenant House is a non-profit that provides safety and housing for youth who are at risk for homelessness.

This project, directed by Laura Murphy, involved researchers interviewing 641 youth who were clients of Covenant House. The youth were between 17 and 24 years old. A screening tool, the “Human Trafficking Interview and Assessment Measure” (HTIAM-14) was used by researchers to standardize interviews.

Findings from the Project include:

• Of the 641 interviewees, 92 had been trafficked for sex
• 30 interviewees who identified as LGBTQ were trafficked for sex
• 193 of all youth interviewed had engaged in some way in the sex trade at some point
• 52 interviewees has been labor trafficked, most of which was in relation to drug trafficking work
• 22 interviewees were trafficked for both sex and labor
• The majority of trafficked youth (91%) reported being offered a fraudulent work opportunity that turned into trafficking

Economic factors emerged as one of the primary indicators of vulnerability to the trafficking industry. Identifying as LGBTQ or aging out of the foster care system were also strong indicators of vulnerability.

The study recommends a four-pronged approach to fighting back:

• Prevention
• Outreach
• Confidential Identification
• Specialized Interventions

The University of Pennsylvania’s Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice and Research, with Managing Director Johanna Greeson, produced ground breaking research on the correlation between homeless youth and human trafficking. They worked in conjunction with Covenant House International and Loyola University New Orleans. Covenant House is a non-profit that helps with providing housing to youth who are otherwise at risk of homelessness.

One of the largest studies to date, researchers interviewed over 900 youth between the ages of 17 and 25, who stayed at the Covenant House. The researchers focused on the Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix areas. In addition to homelessness, welfare-related factors were taken into consideration including any history of abuse, and out-of-home placement.

Findings include:

• Of the homeless youth interviewed, 20 percent were victims of some form of trafficking
• 41 percent were approached on their first night of homelessness
• 17 percent experienced sex trafficking and six percent experienced labor trafficking
• 14 percent participated in trafficking to meet basic survival needs of food or housing
• 95 percent had a past history of child abuse or neglect
• 41 percent of sex trafficking victims had at least one out-of-home placement experience
• 67 percent of sex trafficking victims did not graduate high school
• Over half were homeless at some point before the age of 18
• A large portion of sex trafficking victims identified as LGBTQ

Developing an Age-Specific Vaccine for the Elderly

The Harvard Medical School is working with Boston’s Children’s Hospital to develop a vaccine intended to protect the elderly population in particular from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital has a Precision Vaccines Program (PVP), which is working in collaboration with the researchers at Harvard. The PVP works with academia, governmental bodies and industry members internationally to develop vaccines.

The lab, using proprietary patented technology, develops human tissues outside of any living human. It then adds white blood cells from people of different ages to the tissue, and analyzes the results of how these immune systems react by age. It’s a way to make age-specific, tailor made vaccines.

Developing a Vaccine for the World

Harvard’s Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, housed at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, also develops vaccines. They’re working with Johnson & Johnson to develop a vaccine for mass inoculation. Johnson and Johnson plans to manufacture over a billion doses of the vaccine by sometime in 2021.

The first and second parts of the clinical trials in humans will test the vaccine, and a placebo, in two age groups: 18 – 55 years old, and 65+. The trials will be done on 1,045 people from the U.S. and Belgium. If all goes well, the third and final trial phase will begin in September, 2020. This vaccine is being touted as one of the top five contenders from the Trump Administration to work, out of about 125 serious vaccine efforts across the world.

Developing a Vaccine for the World

The University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world, has teamed with biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to create and distribute a vaccine for the Coronavirus. AstraZeneca is based in neighboring Cambridge, UK.

The goal is to prevent cases of COVID-19 on a global scale, by administering 2 billion shots per year by 2021. The potential vaccine is known as AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19). This vaccine is being developed by the Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group, both at the University of Oxford. The role that AstraZeneca would play would be to develop, manufacture, and distribute the vaccine worldwide.

How would the vaccine work?

The coronavirus is named “corona” because it resembles the spikes on a crown. Corona means crown. The virus uses its spike protein to gain entry into human cells by binding to the ACE2 receptors on our cells. Once inside the cell the coronavirus causes infection.

The vaccination will train the human immune system to attack and destroy any virus that produces the surface spike protein, before entering human cells, and thereby prevent infections. The way it’s training the immune system to recognize this spikey protein, is by adding genetic material and using a weakened version of another coronavirus, the common cold. The combination of genetic material that produces the spikes in the SARS-CoV-2, along with the common cold, it is believed will train our immune systems to attack the coronavirus before it ever gets started infecting our cells.

Early human clinical trials have been promising.

At the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, directed by Eric Lander, two labs teamed up to develop a new highly effective diagnostic tool. An application-focused virus lab and a technology development lab are working together to create a platform that would allow for a quick and accurate diagnosis of every virus that causes illness. The result so far is called: Combinatorial Arrayed Reactions for Multiplexed Evaluation of Nucleic acids (CARMEN).

This technology was successful at providing same day diagnostic results to patient samples. The team is now working on making CARMEN available on a larger scale.

Calvin University alumni Cheri Ackerman, a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute, co-authored a paper in Nature detailing the CARMEN technology.

The Broad Institute’s areas of research and available resources for fighting Covid-19:

• Clinical Testing and Processing
• Diagnostic and Therapeutics Research and Development
• Epidemiology and Surveillance
• Data and Portals
• Disease Biology
• Videos and Seminars

Vaccines

At Colorado State University there are over 100 investigators working on more than 25 projects related to Covid-19. These projects include studying the plasma of those recovered from the virus, using individually approved treatments in a cocktail form, and developing a vaccine.

The Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology in particular is playing a key role in vaccine research. Head of the Department, Gregg Dean, is leading a research team using “a genetically modified form of the common probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus to avert infection”.

While Professor Mary Jackson, of the same Department, is leading a research project adapting the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin or BCG vaccine.

The BCG vaccine is widely used in protecting against tuberculosis. First formulated in 1921, doctors have administered over five billion doses of the vaccine to both infants and adults. The initial dose provides approximately 10 years immunity. It is easily produced and transported without refrigeration. The vaccine has been shown to also provide immunity to Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans or Yellow Fever virus.

The BCG vaccine is not common in the U.S. due to the low incidences of tuberculosis.

The research team is attempting to pick “pieces of proteins from the virus that are known to elicit an immune response against COVID-19 and trying to have BCG express them at its surface”. The hope is that the vaccine would produce neutralizing antibodies. These antibodies would then block Covid-19 from entering the cells.

Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering has created a Coronavirus Dashboard for tracking the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus Mapping:

This interactive dashboard provides mapping for tracking the spread of the coronavirus at the county level in the US and sub-nationally for many other countries. It also provides numbers of infected, mortality rates and recovery rates. The map shows the world trends of the coronavirus, and a closer look into the trends in the USA in particular. You can see the numbers of cases, deaths and recoveries per state in the US.

Testing Results:

There is also a feature to track testing trends per state, which gives daily, weekly, and total number of tests and their positive or negative results. Additionally, there are multiple ongoing data analysis efforts by the team behind the Coronavirus Resource Center which take a deeper dive into testing data, as well as other economic and social drivers of the outbreak case and death data.

Contact Tracing:

Johns Hopkins has also teamed with Coursera and now offers an online class created by the Bloomberg School of Public Health to teach contact-tracing. This free, six hour class is now available, and is taken fully online. Students will learn the history of SARS-CoV-2, how it’s transmitted, how to contact-trace, when to quarantine, and other valuable skills. This class doesn’t require any prerequisites, and is available to anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent.

Vaccines

The College of Veterinary Medicine is heading the vaccine research for Covid-19 at the University of Georgia. The College manages the Center for Vaccines and Immunology. Through this Center, eminent scholars and researchers such as Biao He and Ted M. Ross lead teams in developing vaccine candidates.

One research group, who was already in the process of developing a vaccine for MERS-CoV, easily transitioned to focusing on SARS-CoV-2. The group is using the MERS vaccine research as a starting point for the Covid-19 vaccine research. Currently, the vaccine is working off of a viral delivery platform. The vaccine would use a modified version of the virus that causes kennel cough in dogs, parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5).

The team is using this modified version of PIV5 ‘due to its safety in humans’. Dog owners especially have been safely exposed to PIV5 if their dogs have been immunized.

The modified PIV5 virus produces proteins also found in corona viruses. The hope is that by exposing the body to the proteins in PIV5, the body can easily mount a defense against the MERS spike proteins produced by the modified virus.

Researchers are hopeful that the vaccine will be approved by the FDA by the end of the year.

Vaccines, Covid-19 Research Index

The University of Michigan has organized Covid-19 research across multiple disciplines.

The university has collected information regarding various research projects into the Covid-19 Research Index.

Students and professors strive to include all ongoing projects (in various states of completeness). The projects range in scope from basic laboratory research unrelated to therapeutics to stress and mental health during Covid-19. Some sample projects include:

• SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing
• Vaccination against COVID-19
• USA Pediatric COVID-19 Registry
• Healthcare Workforce Capacity
• Assessing PPE recycling approaches
• Social Wellbeing during COVID-19
• Public Policy Analysis and Impact

Additional information can be found at the Research Home Page. Here professionals find further resources regarding:

• Research Re-Engagement – How to return to research while following state guidelines
• Covid-19 Funding Opportunities
• Covid-19 Research Publications
• Covid-19 Research News

Vaccines

Jay Evans is the director of the Center for Translational Medicine at the University of Montana (UM). His interdisciplinary research team consists of professors from a variety of departments. The team is working on the discovery and development of novel vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems. Adjuvants are ‘chemicals that help vaccines work more effectively and safely’. The 45 member team has NIH funded projects working on vaccines or treatments for influenza, whooping cough, pseudomonas, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, and opioid addiction.

This experience positioned Evans’ team to be at the forefront of research for the Covid-19 pandemic.

In February, Evans’ team was contacted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to start research on a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. To help with research expenditures, the NIH granted $2.5 million dollars to UM to accelerate discovery and development of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The team is working in partnership with Dr. Florian Krammer and Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Vaccines

On April 2nd, the EBioMedicine magazine published a paper on the Pittsburgh Coronavirus Vaccine (PittCoVacc) which is being developed by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and its clinical partner UPMC.

The research team has seen success with PittCoVacc in clinical trials on mice, whose immune system produced “antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 at quantities thought to be sufficient for neutralizing the virus.”

PittCoVacc involves a new injection method called a microneedle array, which is a small Band-Aid-like patch that is applied directly to the skin. The patch contains 400 tiny needles made of sugar and protein pieces that dissolve into the skin where the immune system response is the strongest. The production of the microneedle array patches is easy to scale up to mass quantities. The patches do not require refrigeration and can be stored at room temperature until needed.

Researchers are now applying for approval from the FDA to move into the first phase of human clinical trials.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and National Cancer Institute provided funding for this research.

Vaccines

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has partnered with FluGen and Bharat Biotech, two vaccine companies. The vaccine in progress is called CoroFlu.

The basis for the CoroFlu vaccine is a flu vaccine candidate named M2SR. Virologists Yoshihiro Kawaoka and Gabriele Neumann developed M2SR as a ‘self-limiting version of the influenza virus’. The research team plans to insert the gene sequence from Covid-19 into the M2SR vaccine. The hope is that this will induce immunity to Covid-19.

By itself, the M2SR vaccine has shown to be safe and well tolerated in several clinical trials involving hundreds of subjects. It lacks the M2 gene of the flu virus ‘which restricts the virus to undergoing only a single round of replication in cells’. This means that the flu virus can enter cells but not leave, triggering an immune response. But since the virus cannot leave the cell to duplicate the host does not get sick.

The vaccine will be administered intra-nasally, mimicking the natural infection route.

UW-Madison’s Influenza Research Institute will host the animal model trials of the CoroFlu vaccine. The Institute is a designated Biosafety Level 3 Agriculture facility. Initial animal trials are expected to take three to six months. Researchers hope to move into human trials by the fall of 2020.